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Remember Sega Genesis? Classic titles coming to Steam

Fans of the gaming console can now visit some of their favorite titles with the Mega Drive Classics Hub.

The years have seen video game technology reach new heights, and for today’s generation of gamers, the name Sega Genesis hardly rings a bell. But if you grew up during the video game world’s infancy, you probably remember how much of a shock the platform was when it first came out in the fall of 1988.

Now, technology has come full circle. According to a report from Engadget, Sega’s Mega Drive console, otherwise known as the Genesis, will be available to play on the virtual gaming site Steam. The Mega Drive Classics Hub will allow fans of the console and newcomers alike to come and play modified versions of some of the most popular video games from the 90’s.

The move is an interesting one as far as the video game world goes. Allowing fans to modify the game emulators comes dangerously close to feeling like piracy, but on the flip side it allows more titles to reach more fans than was ever possible.

Users logging into the Mega Drive Classics Hub will find themselves in a virtual bedroom, undoubtedly a nod to the console’s core original fan base in the 80’s and 90’s. The walls are decorated with posters for Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, and props from old titles can be found throughout the scene.

The Mega Drive is hooked up to an old-school CRV TV, which sits atop a bookcase to hold all of the console’s cartridges. Weren’t video games fun back in the day?

The announcement came from Sega’s UK PR department, which explains the decision to call the service “Mega Drive” rather than “Genesis,” its American name. The games will be available in Europe on April 28, but an American release date remains unclear at this point. While it’s not the fist time the company has re-hashed its own games for online play, it will offer access to some more obscure titles like Shining Force II or Ecco the Dolphin.

A Sega press release describing the details of the Classics Hub and listing the available titles can be found here.